Child of the Moon
by marylou
Summary: Remus is alone and broken, feeling nothing but pain, until a mysterious girl comes to comfort him. The story of Remus Lupin's history with the Hunters of Artemis. On hiatus; see profile for more info.
1. Prologue

Remus pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and sobbing. He was in the Shrieking Shack, waiting for the change to come upon him. He hated his life. The pain was excruciating, and he knew that no one would ever be able to love him. He was a monster. He closed his eyes in despair.

"Why do you cry, child?" He heard. He looked up and saw a girl. She looked to be about ten or eleven years old, just a year younger than himself. She bent down next to him and rested her hand on his cheek.

"No! You can't be here, I'm dangerous, get out!" Remus cried, pulling away from her. "Please, I don't want to hurt you," he whimpered, already beginning to feel the pull of the moon.

"Hush, child, you cannot hurt me."

Remus shrieked in pain, his fingernails digging into his palms. "Please do-" He broke off with a scream. The girl reached out and grabbed his hands, holding them tenderly in hers. "Be still, child. The moon will protect you."

"No," Remus gasped, "No, I hate the moon. The only thing it does is hurt me."

The girl was silent for a moment, still holding onto his hands, even though they were rapidly changing into clawed paws. "You do not understand, my son. Yes, the moon can cause pain, but it can also protect, comfort and guide."

Remus, now fully transformed, looked up into her old eyes. She smiled, reaching out a hand to caress his head. "Trust me, child of the moon."

"Who are you?" He whimpered.

She smiled gently. "My name is Artemis."


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: When I started this, I wasn't sure where it was going, and I'm still not sure, so I apologize if it seems a little jumpy and disconnected. This takes place two years after James and Lily Potter were killed and eight years before the events of** _ **The Lightning Thief,**_ **so Remus is twenty-three.**

* * *

Remus swept his broom along the floor dispiritedly. With James and Lily dead and Sirius in Azkaban, he had had no one to go to. He had tried to get custody of Harry, but with his "furry little problem" the courts hadn't let him. Despite the court's prejudice, he had still tried to be part of his cub's life. This had resulted in Dumbledore updating the wards around Harry's home to stop dark creatures from getting within fifty meters of the house. With no other recourse left to him, he had left the country. Now he lived in a medium-sized suburb in the United States, working as a janitor in a school.

He sighed, dumping the dust pan in the trash can and moving to put his broom up for the day when he heard a noise behind him. He turned, barely managing to dodge the arrow that was shot at him. "What are you doing?" He gasped. "This is a school, no weapons allowed!" He crouched slightly, moving his broom in front of him as if to protect himself. He started to reach for his wand and cursed, realizing he had grown complacent and had left it in his desk. He eyed the girl apprehensively. She wore a white t-shirt and silvery cargo pants with black combat boots. He could see a knife at her belt and a quiver over her shoulders, matching the bow in her hands.

"You can't fool me, monster. I know what you are." The girl moved menacingly towards him, another arrow already on her bow string.

"What do you mean?" Remus asked nervously, eyeing the arrow in front of him. "I'm a nobody. Just the janitor."

"Spare me your lies, there's no way-" She was interrupted by shouts behind her. "Zoe!" The girl shouted behind her. "I've cornered him!" While her attention was off him, Remus took the opportunity and ducked into a supply closet, barring the door shut behind him. He glanced hurriedly around the room before grabbing a broom and cracking it over his knee to break the end with the bristles off. He hefted the remaining wooden pole in his hands, testing its strength. As the sound of shouts and yells grew louder from the hallway, Remus grabbed a stepladder and climbed up it, reaching above him to lift a ceiling tile. He moved the tile to the side and set the broom shaft next to the hole and pulled himself up into the crawl space above, carefully replacing the tile behind him.

Below him, he could hear the girl trying to open the door. "It's blocked. Should I break it down now or wait for our Lady?"

"Break it down now. We don't have time to wait. Those children are in danger now."

There were a couple of loud thuds as the girl hit the door, before finally a few cracking sounds were heard as the wooden beams keeping the door shut began to crack.

"Zoe, it's almost down, get ready. Just a few more kicks should do it."

When the door was knocked down, the two girls burst through, scanning the closet for Remus. "Danae, check for hidden doors." The first girl moved around the closet, checking behind the shelves and the floor. She shrugged. "I've got nothing, Lieutenant. I've no idea where he went."

"Art thou sure he came in here?"

"I saw it myself."

Zoe glanced coldly around the closet. "Move on. We'll have to search somewhere else."

As they turned to leave the closet, Remus breathed a sigh of relief. As he did so, Zoe's steps faltered, as if she had heard something, but she continued on anyway. Remus listened to them walk away until he could no longer hear them and softly shifted the ceiling tile away so he could climb down. He clambered over the mess they had made of the closet and peered out the door down the hall to where he could see the girls turning the corner.

Back in his office, Remus ripped open the drawer in his desk and grabbed his wand. "Where were you when I needed you a few minutes ago," He muttered under his breath. He turned towards the door to leave and saw one of the girls, the one who had been called Zoe. He ducked the arrow she sent at him and brandished his wand at her. "Expelliarmus!" She gasped and clutched at her bow as it tried to fly out of her hands.

"What? How did thou do that?" She reached around her neck and pulled out an amulet, glancing down at it. "Oh." She frowned, glancing up at him in sudden realization. She started backing towards the door. "I believe there is some sort of misunderstanding somewhere. Our fight is not with thee. If thou would just stay in here until we are done here, we will let thee be."

Remus stared at her in shock. "You must be joking. There is no way I am going to let a group of blood-thirsty armed teenage girls go rampaging around a school filled with children."

The girl shifted, glancing behind her at the empty hallway. "We do not have time for this. I promise not to hurt any of the children at thy school, but they are in danger from. . .something else. If thou truly desires to protect them, then come with me." Remus stared at her for a moment. Despite his previous experience with her, his inner wolf trusted her. It was almost as if it considered her a member of his pack. He bit his lip in thought, finally coming to a decision. "Fine. Let's go."

They stalked down the hallway together, Zoe with her bow in her hand and Remus with his wand in his. They turned the corner and almost ran into Danae. "Lieutenant, they've been sighted over at- What are you doing with him?"

"Thy information was faulty, he's not the one we're after. He's agreed to work with us."

Danae frowned. "But if he's not the one we're after, then what is he? Because he's not human, I can tell that."

"He's a werewolf. But that doesn't matter now. Thou said that there hast been a sighting?"

Danae sputtered in surprise. "What? A werewolf? What do you think-"

Zoe glared at her. "Not now. Tell me about the sighting."

Danae swallowed and nodded. "Yes. Well, one of the girls saw an empousa over by the cafeteria. And we've managed to locate the demigods."

"What!" Remus choked. "Demigods?"

"We've got them isolated and we're protecting them, but they're confused and scared."

"Wait, slow done here," Remus said. "Demigods? Empousa? Does this have anything to do with you talking so old-fashioned?"

Danae stared at him before turning to Zoe. "I thought you said he was a werewolf."

She nodded. "He is."

"Then why is he acting all confused about what's going on?"

"He is a different werewolf from the type thou art familiar with. From a different world. I'll explain things to the both of thee later, after we clean up this mess. Now, who do thou have watching the children?"

"Celyn and Natasha."

Zoe bit her lip. "All right. Send a squad after the empousa that was sighted, add Naomi and Kris to the guard protecting the children, and have everyone else search the school for other monsters. Thou," she turned to Remus, "Go with Danae, protect the children, and I'll explain things to thee later."

He nodded. "I'll hold you to that."

* * *

Remus glanced around the clearing he was in. After the situation at the school had been cleared up, the weird donkey/vampire hybrids destroyed, and the traumatized young demigods given hot chocolate, the Hunters, as Danae had told him they were called, had set up camp in a park not far from the school.

He glanced over at Zoe. "So you really are a couple of thousand years old."

She nodded. "Yes."

"And you are the handmaidens of Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt."

"That is correct."

"Merlin," he sighed, reaching up to run his hand through his hair in shock. "But how have we never noticed you lot before? A bunch of teenagers with weapons running around aren't that hard to miss."

"We have something similar to thine obliviate spells; it is called the mist, except it does not depend on anyone casting a spell. Instead it accompanies any Greeks or Romans to cover up anything that is beyond the normal and replaces it with things that can easily be explained away. And there are a few wizards and witches who are aware of our existence, those who have stumbled upon us that we trust for some reason or another. Like thee."

"Me?" He frowned. "Why me? Why are you allowing me to keep this knowledge? I'm- I'm a werewolf, a dark creature."

Zoe looked at him calmly. "Be that as it may, thou art still an honorable man. When I threatened thee earlier, thine only thought was for the children in the school, not for thine own life, as it would be for most. But that is not all." Her eyes narrowed at him. "Thou hast been blessed by Lady Artemis."

"What? What do you mean?"

"The goddess has met thou and blessed thee as her child. Thou cannot bite anyone during the full moon and transform them, and thine own transformations are easier than they would have been had she retained her blessing."

Remus stared at her in shock. "You're telling me that I've met a goddess."

"Lady Artemis, yes, that is correct."

"And she blessed me. How can you even tell?"

"There is a silver aura about thee that can only be seen by a few. I can sense the presence of Lady Artemis' power in it."

Remus leaned forward, putting his head in his hands. "But when would I have met her? I think I would remember meeting a goddess."

"Her favorite form is that of a small child, perhaps twelve or thirteen years of age, although she frequently changes her appearance depending on the circumstances. Because of her apparent age, many people do not realize who she is." She watched him closely. "Do you perhaps recall a small child, many years ago, who acted. . .unusual?"

Remus started to shake his head. "No, I don't think so. I think I'd . . ." He trailed off. "Well, maybe." He paused, staring off into the distance. "I'd almost forgotten that," he muttered under his breath. He looked up at Zoe again. "When I was eleven," he began rather hesitantly, "and I was having my first transformation away from home, I remember there being a girl. When I woke up, I just thought it was a strange dream, but now. . ."

Zoe raised a brow at him. "Did thine transformation feel different?"

Remus looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure, it's hard to remember. Maybe?"

Zoe nodded. "It is most likely that the child you recall meeting was Lady Artemis."

"So what does that mean?" Remus frowned.

"Well, thou should be recognized by most Hunters. Danae is relatively new among us and has never met another who wears Artemis' blessing the way thou dost, and so she did not know that thou were blessed by the goddess. Other than that, it can mean whatever thou choose it to mean. If thou ever notice demigods who art in danger, it would be appreciated if thou wouldst help them and contact either us or the Camp-"

"The camp?"

"Camp Half-Blood, in New York, where the majority of demigods in the United States go to train."

"But how do I contact you?"

"Iris, the goddess of rainbows, can carry messages. If thou create a rainbow and entreat the goddess to accept thine offering and show thou whomever thou wishest to speak with, and then send a coin through the rainbow, we will be able to speak with thee."

Remus blinked in surprise. "Right, then. A rainbow payphone. That makes sense."

Zoe stood. "We shall return thee to thy school. Do not worry about thy absence, the mist will clear the way for thee." She reached out to shake his hand. "I understand this is a tradition that mortals persist in."

Remus laughed, shaking her hand. "Yes, it is."

"If thou art ever in need of our assistance, do not hesitate to contact us. Though we normally do not tolerate the presence of males, we make exceptions for those who art blessed by our Lady."

* * *

 **AN: Zoe, Naomi, and Celyn are all canon Hunters. Zoe is Zoe Nightshade from** _ **The Titan's Curse**_ **. Naomi and Celyn are mentioned in** _ **The Blood of Olympus**_ **, and are both killed by Orion in Puerto Rico.**


	3. Chapter 2

**This takes place about two years after Chapter 1.**

* * *

Remus was walking to his car after a long day of work. There had been a food fight in the cafeteria that day in the school, and he had been stuck cleaning it up by himself for hours after school had ended. He was almost to his car when he heard a whimper.

"What the-?" he muttered under his breath, looking around for the source of the sound. He couldn't see anything, so he shrugged and started to move on to his car when he heard it again. This time, he could tell that it was coming from underneath one of the bushes by the side of the school. He walked over to it and lifted the branches to peer underneath.

It was a child.

A small child, maybe three or four year old, wearing just an over sized shirt. It appeared to be a boy. Remus grabbed the child under the arms and lifted him into his arms, resting him against the side of his hip. "What were you doing under there?" he asked gently, smoothing his hand over the boy's back to calm him down. He stopped when his hand brushed something wet. "Did you have an accident?" He asked. "It doesn't matter if you did, we can deal with-" he lifted his hand off of the child's back to see a streak of crimson blood on it. "What's this? Did you hurt yourself?" He lifted the back of the shirt and gasped.

There, on the child's left shoulder, was a bloody bite. He leaned forward and sniffed it, rearing back in shock as his suspicions were confirmed. A werewolf bite. He stared at the child for a moment before coming to a sudden decision and heading back to his car with the boy still in his arms.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you, but I've got to do something," he muttered under his breath. He shifted the child in his arms as he clung tighter to his neck, one of his thumbs finding its way into his mouth.

* * *

Back in his apartment, Remus stood next to the table where he had set the child. "Come on, just let me take this off so I can make your back feel better," he soothed gently.

"Hurts," the child whimpered.

"I know, but I can make it feel better."

The boy looked up at him tearfully. "Where mommy go?"

Remus sighed. "I don't know, little one. But I can help. Just let me take that shirt of."

With the shirt off, Remus could see that the boy was bruised and scraped all over his chest, but he ignored that for the moment in order to concentrate on the bite in his shoulder. He lifted a wet towel in his hands.

"This might sting a bit, but just keep still." The boy flinched at the first touch of the towel, then seemed to relax at the feeling of cool water trickling into the bite.

After Remus had washed away the dirt and congealed blood, he cleaned it with soap and water, dried it, then wrapped a clean bandage around the boy's shoulder. Then he proceeded to clean all the other cuts on the boy's little put away all the medical supplies he had brought out, then turned back to the boy, lifting one of his shirts that he had grabbed from his closet over the boy's head. "I really need to get you some clothes that fit," he muttered under his breath. "And I don't know what else you'll need. Merlin knows where I'll get the money. Or the time."

He turned back to the boy. "Alright, little one, what's your name?"

The boy stared up at him with big eyes, pulling his thumb out of his mouth for just long enough to answer Remus' question. "Danny."

Remus smiled. "Ok, then, Danny, where's your mommy?"

"Mommy sleep."

"Where's your daddy?"

Danny just shook his head.

Remus bit his lip. "Danny, what happened to your shoulder?" He pointed at the bite.

Danny's eyes filled with tears. "Bad dog," he whispered. "Bad dog hurt Danny."

"What happened to the bad dog?" Remus asked, hoping that the werewolf hadn't had time to learn Danny's scent. If it had, then they would have to take precautions.

"Bad dog ran." Danny yawned, drawing Remus' attention back to the situation at hand. "Are you hungry, Danny?" he asked gently.

Danny nodded bashfully. "Like milk."

"You like milk?" Remus smiled. "Well, that's good, because I have some right here."

After Danny had drunk his milk, and eaten some apple slices, he was already half asleep, so Remus just took him the bathroom then lifted him onto his bed to rest, deciding to clear up what had happened to him when he woke up. With the boy settled for the night, he moved back to the kitchen and grabbed a pad of paper and pencil, sat down at the table and rested his elbows on the table, ready to make plans.

"Alright, so I can't tell the magical congress that I have a young werewolf on my hands because they'll just take him and put him in one of their werewolf concentration camps, and that's no place for a small child, let alone one that's a werewolf. But, on the other hand, I can't take care of him myself because I don't have the resources or supplies to, and if the werewolf that bit him had enough time to recognize his scent . . . then we'd definitely have problems." He rested his head on his hands dispiritedly. "What am I going to do?"

He looked around as if trying to find the answer somewhere in the room. His eyes passed over the box of galleons that he kept on his shelf, his mind flashing back to the discussion in Zoe's tent. "What did she call it," He muttered under his breath, "An iris message?"

* * *

Later that night, Remus was woken by the sound of someone clearing their throat. He immediately jumped up off the couch, his blanket falling onto the ground as he grabbed his wand from the table next to him. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" he hissed, holding his wand out threateningly.

"Peace, brother," he heard a smooth voice say. The figure stepped forward into the light shining through the window from the half-moon. It was Celyn, the hunter he had met two years previously. "Our Lady sent me to you to ask what the problem is."

Remus blinked in surprise. "The problem?"

"Lady Artemis said that you needed help," Celyn responded. "She said that you contacted her and requested that she send help."

She sat down on the arm of the couch. "So, do you need anything?"

Remus looked carefully at her, "If I did have a problem, what could you do to help?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, that depends entirely on what your problem is."

Remus looked down at his hands, deep in thought. Coming to a decision he looked up at her. "I do have a problem," he said quietly. "Earlier today I found a child, perhaps three or four years old, who had been bitten by a werewolf. If I turn him in to the magical congress, he'll be branded with silver and left in a werewolf concentration camp with no one to care for him." He shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "Most magical governments don't care about dark creatures like us. But, since I don't want to turn him in, the only other option that I can see is caring for the child myself, but I don't have the resources or the time to do so, not to mention I may have to protect him from an angry wolf looking for their pup." He looked up at her. "So, what do you suggest?"

"Hm," Celyn drummed her fingers on her thigh. "Do you still work at that school where we ran into you a couple years back?"

"Yes, why?"

"If you had another job offer, how soon could you leave them?"

"Well, I don't know, I've never thought about it before. What exactly are you suggesting?"

Celyn leaned forward seriously. "You are not the first . . . individual that the hunters have met who is persecuted through no fault of their own. Lady Artemis is thinking about creating a sanctuary, where people who are not accepted into normal society can live together in peace, unhindered by those who fear them. However, her idea is not finalized and is still in the planning stage." She looked up at him. "If the Lady agrees, would you be willing to leave your job here to help prepare and plan for the sanctuary?"

Remus drew back in surprise. "What? That's so . . . sudden. I don't know . . . I'd have to think about it."

Ceyln nodded understandably. "That is perfectly understandable. And, in the meantime, you have been called in sick for the next week and we have someone who will be substituting for you in your job, so you will continue to receive your paycheck. Also," She reached into one of her pockets, pulling out a small silver bag. "There are a few supplies here for you and the child." She stood up, setting the bag on the couch next to Remus. "Think carefully about the offer. We won't give it again."

"And if I have any questions about this offer of yours?"

"You can just iris message us again. But next time, call me, not Lady Artemis."

Remus nodded. "Ok, then, I'll do that. And I'll get in touch in a few days when I have thought things over."

* * *

" **Wait, why do you have supplies for the boy with you? Did you already know he was here? Then why did you ask me if I had a problem when you knew very well that I did? And why did you just appear in my living room in the middle of the night? I do have a doorbell, you know!** _ **Merlin,**_ **you lot are worse than Dumbledore!"**

 **Celyn just shrugged. "Sorry, I have no control over my actions. Marylou made me do everything. Blame her."**

" **Wait, if you have no control over your actions, then do I? Is anything I say or do caused by myself or am I just a pawn in some cruel, pointless game that this Marylou thinks up? Am I even alive? WHAT IS THE MEANING OF MY EXISTENCE? AAAAUUUUGGGHHHH!"**

* * *

Just to clarify, Artemis is willing to help and work with Remus because he's a werewolf and she's the goddess of the moon, so she feels responsible for him. And the sanctuary is not for monsters, it is for the humanoid magical creatures of Harry Potter, like centaurs, veela, vampires, werewolves, house elfs, etc. And if they're male, then they need special permission from Artemis.


	4. Chapter 3

Remus shuffled the papers on his desk tiredly. Just that morning, there had been an argument between the werewolves and the veelas over the placement of one of the new housing units. It had degenerated into a fist fight that resulted in a hospital visit. Other than a few disruptions like this, though, the sanctuary was flourishing.

It had been seven years since the Hunters of Artemis had asked him to manage the magical creature sanctuary, and while it was managing fine, it was still a lot of work for him. He had a few house elves as assistants, but their help extended mainly to manual tasks, while the actual management was left completely to him. He lifted an envelope and frowned. "Minky!" he called.

The house elf popped into the room. "Yes, Master Wolfy?"

"Where did this letter come from?"

Minky smiled brightly. "It came the wizardy way."

"You mean an owl brought it?"

"Yes, Master Wolfy. It has Master Wolfy's name on it, so Tella put it on master wolfy's desk."

"Hmm," Remus flipped the envelope over in his hands. Now that he knew where it had come from and had examined it closer, he could tell that it was made of parchment, not paper as he would have expected with the normal type of letter that he received as the sanctuary's manager. He slid his thumb under the flap to open it.

' _Dear Remus,'_ he read.

' _I hope it was not too forward of me to write you, I just thought that you should be made aware of the recent news here. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts. He is a bright young boy, who reminds me much of Lily, but he does have a mischievous streak reminiscent of James. He has befriended the youngest Weasley boy and they are quickly growing close. Both of them were sorted into Gryffindor._

 _I've always regretted that you could never find your own place in our world. You did such a good job as my teaching assistant when you were a student, that I have already put your name down with Albus as my replacement as transfiguration professor and head of Gryffindor._

 _Hoping this letter finds you well,_

 _Minerva McGonagall,_

 _Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'_

* * *

Remus looked down at the paper thoughtfully. He remembered Harry as a small toddler, running around the house and getting into trouble. It was difficult to see him as an eleven-year-old, with James' face and Lily's eyes, but none of their innocence. He had always regretted that the law had prevented him from raising Harry himself because of his 'furry little problem'. The first few weeks after James and Lily had died, he had hung around Petunia's house, trying to catch a glimpse of the cub he had lost, until Dumbledore drew him aside and told him the muggles were getting suspicious and he needed to stop. He had tried to write Harry a few times as he got older, but the mail wards that prevented Harry from getting all of his fan mail wouldn't let his owls through either.

He wondered if it was worth it to try and write Harry now that he was in school. He reached out and grabbed a sheet of paper before pausing. Even if Harry got his letter, he would most likely have no idea who Remus was. And if he did know who he was, there was no way that he would write back. He crumpled the paper, throwing it onto the floor, convincing himself that Harry wouldn't want to hear from him anyway.

* * *

Approximately nine months later, Remus received another letter about Harry, this time from Hagrid. It seemed Harry was as much of a trouble magnet as his parents were. Hagrid was asking for pictures of James and Lily for a photo album for Harry. Remus dug through the boxes in his closet, searching for all the pictures that he still had trouble looking at. He sorted through them carefully, making sure that there were none of Black. It was hard to find any that didn't have him, so he resigned himself to just making sure that there were none of Harry and Black alone together. He still couldn't quite believe what Sirius had done. He had seemed so close to the small family that it was almost inconceivable that he would betray them, but Remus knew that that was what had happened. It was fortunate that Peter had gotten to him first and made him show the world his true colors, or it was doubtful that Harry would have survived to attend Hogwarts.

Remus slid the pictures into an envelope, pulling out a sheet of paper.

' _Dear Hagrid,'_ he wrote.

 _Enclosed you will find the pictures that you asked for. I hope Harry enjoys them._

 _Remus Lupin.'_

He drew back, looking it over. It was short, yes, but there wasn't really anything else he wanted to say. " _Hey, Hagrid, remember me? I'm the coward who ran away after my friends were killed. How's life?"_

He sighed deeply. When Harry was a few years older, maybe he could write and introduce himself. But until then, he would only have his memories to comfort himself.


	5. Chapter 4

One year later . . .

* * *

Remus lay in bed, tossing and turning in the throes of a dream. He was back at Hogwarts, and Black was attempting his first animagus transformation, but had gotten stuck halfway through. It had been a fun experience when it had happened, but now he couldn't forget what Sirius had done, and what would have at one time been a good daydream had turned into a nightmare. Remus was trying to make sense of the dream when suddenly Hogwarts disappeared around him and he stood in a quiet forest glade. He looked around in bemusement.

"We have a problem." Remus turned around to see Zoe.

"What do you mean? Is this real? Is that really you?"

She nodded. "Yes, this is real."

"Really? Wow. How does it work?"

She frowned, impatient. "That is not important now. Lady Artemis has been taken captive."

"What?" he gasped. "But she's a goddess. How could someone capture her?"

Zoe glared at him. "I do not know how, all I know is that it has happened."

"Right," Remus nodded determinedly. "So what can I do to help?"

"Thou wilt remain here and maintain control at the sanctuary and be prepared for our arrival when we do find our Lady."

"Is there nothing I can do to help you rescue Lady Artemis?"

She shook her head. "No, we would never accept men to hunt with us for an extended period of time. The only thing thou can do to help is to wait and be ready."

* * *

Remus sat on the porch, looking up at the evening sky as a soft breeze blew past his face. It had been a few weeks since he had gotten the dream message from Zoe, and he had not heard anything since. He was starting to get concerned that something bigger was going on. He glanced up at the stars, trying to ignore the bright star twinkling in the middle of Canis Major. He heard a noise off to the side and glanced over before dismissing it. Looking up in the sky, he frowned. It looked as if the stars were brighter now. They made a pattern Remus had never noticed before- a gleaming constellation that looked a lot like a girl's figure- a girl with a bow, running across the sky. Remus sat up suddenly. It looked like Zoe.

* * *

Remus was working at his desk filling out the paperwork for the magical congress allowing for the immigration of a few new house elves who had been recently freed through the dying wish of their master. There was the sound of footsteps from the hallway and he looked up. "Lady Artemis, are you alright? Zoe said that you were taken captive."

Artemis sighed wearily. "Yes, I am fine."

Remus peered around her. "Where's Zoe? I have some new ideas that she needs to approve before they can be implemented here."

Artemis sighed again. "Remus, child, Zoe is dead."

Remus gaped at her. "What? But she- how?"

Artemis smiled sadly. "She died in battle, a true hero. The world will honor her forever as she lives forever among the stars." She stepped aside. "I would like to introduce you to my new lieutenant, Thalia, daughter of Zeus."

Remus nodded distractedly at her. "Welcome to the hunt, Thalia."


	6. Chapter 5

In the middle of his breakfast a few months later, Remus was interrupted by the arrival of an owl bearing the _Daily Prophet_. He still kept a subscription despite the high costs of getting the _Daily Prophet_ in the United States. Even though he no longer lived in Great Britain, he still wanted to know what was going on over there. There usually wasn't anything worthwhile in the newspaper, but it was one of the few connections with his old life that he had kept. He opened up the newspaper, shaking out the folds, and gasped. There, right on the front page of the _Daily Prophet_ , was Sirius Black. Remus glanced quickly at the headline and dropped the paper on the table, leaning forward to rest his head on his hands. Sirius Black had broken out of Azkaban.

Sirius Black. Why was it that, even years later, the merest mention of his name could rattle him? Perhaps it was because Sirius was the one who had stood up for Remus the most when they were in school, who had reassured him that he wasn't a monster and that he had a chance at a normal life. Perhaps because they had all been so close that Remus could never imagine that Sirius was keeping secrets from them, let alone secrets so dark and dangerous. He could never have imagined that Sirius would have betrayed them. But looking back now, years later, with the benefit of hindsight, he could see the signs. After all, with his family being who they were, there was really no way that Sirius could have thrown off their influence as easily as he had seemed to. And after that time where Black had almost gotten Snape killed by Remus they all should have seen the signs.

But now it was too late. They hadn't noticed, and James and Lily were the ones to pay the price. And now Harry. Poor Harry.

Remus resolutely shoved the Prophet away from him. He didn't want to have anything more to do with Sirius Black. That part of his life was behind him.

If only Remus had known how quickly the universe would prove him wrong. A few short days later, he was reading a book at his desk when he heard a tapping noise coming from the window, distracting him from the task at hand. He stood up and walked over to the window, opening it to let the owl in. He untied the letter and opened it to read.

* * *

 _Dear Remus,_

 _I understand from Minerva that you are doing well in your new life. It is quite unfortunate that I must ask you to depart from your idyllic new existence. I need your help, Remus. You may have heard of the recent breakout from Azkaban. I fear that Sirius Black may come after young Harry Potter, and since you knew Black, I wonder if perhaps you would come to Hogwarts to help protect against him. You spent so much time with him that I am sure that you know the way he thinks. Your input would be valued._

 _The Defense post is, as always, open._

 _Awaiting your response,_

 _Albus Dumbledore_

 _Headmaster of Hogwarts_

 _Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot_

 _Supreme Mugwump of the ICW_

* * *

Remus let the parchment fall from his hand to land on the desk. He stared at it. What to do? He didn't want to go back; to face all the memories that Hogwarts would bring, but for Harry. . . Perhaps he owed it to Harry.

* * *

At the end of that school year, Remus found himself contacting Thalia. He wouldn't be coming back to the sanctuary that year as he had planned. Sirius needed him.


	7. Chapter 6

_A few days after the end of the Triwizard Tournament. . ._

"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, show me Thalia," Remus said softly. He tossed the galleon into the rainbow.

Thalia's face appeared in the mist. "Remus? What is this about?"

Remus looked nervous. "I need to ask Lady Artemis something."

"What?"

Remus shook his head. "I want to speak with her directly. Is there any way. . ." he trailed off.

Thalia shook her head. "She's not with us right now. You know how she occasionally likes to roam by herself. But if you tell me your message, I can pass it on to her when I see her next."

Remus nodded. "If that's the only option."

"Well?"

"Lord Voldemort has returned," Remus said solemnly.

Thalia squinted. "That's that crazy psychopath killer wizard, right?"

Remus nodded. "Right. And I was wondering if there was anyway that Lady Artemis could help us in the upcoming war."

Thalia looked dubious. "I don't know, Remus, the gods don't like getting involved in human affairs."

"Can you ask anyway?" the werewolf pleaded.

Thalia sighed. "Of course. But I don't know if you'll like the answer," she warned.

A few days later she messaged him again. Remus had to throw his tea on Sirius to distract him so he wouldn't see the Iris message.

It didn't matter. Artemis was standing firm: the gods would not get involved with the affairs of mortals.

They were on their own.

* * *

Remus sat on the side of one of the beds in the hospital wing of Hogwarts, his head in his hands as he leaned forward.

Sirius was dead.

It had all happened so fast; one moment he was laughing and fighting, and the next he was falling. It didn't seem fair to Remus; he had just barely gotten Sirius back, and now he had lost him.

His eyes hardened. Sirius had died protecting his godson. Now it was Remus' duty. He would help Dumbledore make the world a better place for the future generations.

He resolutely stood from his chair. He needed to contact Thalia and tell her that he wouldn't be returning until Voldemort was dead and his followers were all dead as well or in custody.


	8. Chapter 7

_The Battle of Hogwarts. . ._

Minerva McGonagall stumbled tiredly through the ruins of the Hogwarts castle, dodging the smoking remnants of spells. She was looking for bodies.

The battle had been long in coming; everyone could tell that the tensions between the death eaters and the rebels was growing. And when Harry Potter had shown up at Hogwarts with Hermione and Ron, she had known that the end was coming. It was inevitable that things would end up this way.

Minerva looked around the toppled walls and blood-stained floors of the castle. She had never thought that one day she would be combing through the devastated school like this. With a heavy sigh, she continued on her grim search.

A few feet ahead, she could see a motionless hand, stretched out on the ground and reaching out from behind a fallen pillar. Minerva cleared the corner of the stone pillar and gasped.

"No," she breathed, falling to her knees next to the body of Remus Lupin. "No, Remus. . ." There were tears in her eyes. "First Fred, and now this?" She reached over and tenderly picked up Remus' wand from where it lay still clasped loosely in his limp grasp. It was broken, the unicorn hair core dangling out of one end.

She looked up from Remus' broken wand and noticed his sightless eyes, staring into the dark sky. Minerva reached out and gently closed them, noticing as she did so the other body next to Remus.

"Tonks."

. . . . .

After Harry had revealed that he was alive and after Voldemort had been killed, everyone gathered in the great hall to mourn the dead.

In the great hall, in front of all of the bodies of the dead lain out on the floor, Fleur Weasley drew her husband away from the others.

"We must tell them,"

"The Hunters?" he asked quietly.

She nodded. "They deserve to know."

Bill turned to look over to where Remus and Tonks lay. "Do they even know what's going on here?"

She hesitated. "I believe so. I recall my aunt saying something, in one of her letters, about the sanctuary receiving a letter from Remus, saying that he wouldn't be back until things were better over here. There was a conflict between those who wanted to help and those who said that it was not their war. She chose to stay."

Bill nodded. "Come on, then. Let's get out of this crowd so you can speak with them."

Once the two were out of the great hall and inside an empty classroom, Fleur nodded at Bill. "A rainbow now, please."

He held out his wand. "Eritque arcus."

After the rainbow had shimmered into existence, Fleur tossed a galleon into the spray. "Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Lady Thalia."

In the mist, the image of two teenage girls appeared. One of them, a dark-haired girl with stormy blue-green eyes and a silver circlet on her head jumped up from her seat. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"I am Fleur, and this is my husband Bill," Fleur gestured at him. He waved awkwardly at Thalia. "My aunt is Angele Leveque," Fleur continued. "She lives in your sanctuary."

"Do you wish to speak with your aunt?" Thalia asked. "Because if you do I can not help you."

Fleur shook her head. "I- we need to speak with you."

Thalia nodded. "Ok, what?"

Fleur glanced over to Bill. He gestured for her to continue. "We are at Hogwarts right now. You-Know-Who, or Voldemort," she pronounced it the French way, "has just been killed."

Thalia's eyes brightened. "That is good. Did Remus ask you to tell us? Is he returning soon?"

Fleur bit her lip, shaking her head. "Remus Lupin was among those killed in the first attack."

"Oh." Thalia winced. She glanced over her shoulder to where another hunter stood behind her. "I understand he was recently married. Is his wife-?"

"She is also dead. Their son, Teddy, is alive. I do not know what will happen to him now," she finished sadly.

Thalia nodded solemnly and slowly. "Thank you for telling me, Fleur. Remus will be honored by us." She ended the conversation by waving a hand through the image, a silver bracelet sparkling on her wrist.

Fleur and Bill were left alone in the empty classroom.


End file.
